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Cockatiel amputated wing during nightfright

I have a sweet Lutino cockatiel that is prone to frights, cage covered or uncovered, night lite on or off. Last night she took a nasty spill from her perch during a fright and fell with her wings stretched and one caught on the way down and was almost ripped off her poor tiny body! She screamed and cried and I screamed and cried with her all the way to the hospital! The vet said she was injured too badly to save the wing and completed the amputation she started. She looks so horrible and I cry everytime I look at her! I feel like it is my fault and my baby will never fly again. She did so love to fly and was so beautiful, my heart has been broken along with her wing...has this happened to anyone else???? please reply....
Thank you

Re: Cockatiel amputated wing during nightfright

This is so sad
But at leadt your little one is still with you... I've heard and I've seen dog with amputated legs who lived perfectly happy after a while... I hope this will be the same for you bird ... I had never heard of an amputated wing before... but be strong for your birdy, she needs you!

Re: Cockatiel amputated wing during nightfright

Yes I am very glad she is still with me and also that she is only 2 years old so I pray she will learn to live with her handicap but she is sooooo pitiful! Just now I returned her to her normal cage in the hopes that she will feel safer, however, I modified her cage by shortening it by over half and covering the bottom with afghans so that if she does it again she will not hurt herself. I am going now to check in with my vet now to let him know her progress today and I must stop crying as I am trying so hard to be strong.
Thank you for your kind thoughts and remember us in your prayers!! Love to you and Baby!!!!

Re: Cockatiel amputated wing during nightfright

I am so sorry for your bird and you. I'm glad that you were able to get her to a vet quickly. Does the vet think that she will be able to recover from this type of injury? We had a cat that had to have a back leg amputated at the hip due to cancer. He did really well and even learned to jump again. At first lt was a long and difficult process to teach him to walk again but in the end it was worth it. His cancer returned later and we had to help him to the rainbow bridge but I'm glad for the extra time that we had together. I'm sure that your bird will lean on you for support during this time and I'm equally sure that you can help her. Good luck!!!

Re: Cockatiel amputated wing during nightfright

hi,
i am really sprry to hear about this. I just got my tiel like a month ago. he has only had one night fright and I woke up, uncovered his cage, and sat with him till he was calm again. Luckily, he was fine and there were no injuries. He hasn't had another night fright since I put in a night light. I know that I would be killed if my bird ever got his wing amputated. the bright side: the bird has a loving owner who took care ofher so she lived. she will learn to live with her disabiliy and you as her owner should be strong for her and shouldn't cry. Don't pity the bird, I mean I wouldn't want to be. My cousin's dog has a wheel chair and he is happy as ever. Your bird will be happy if you are happy when you are with her. She wouldn't want you to cry over this little thing.

best of luck! let us know how you progress,
sam and her wild child Tazz

Re: Cockatiel amputated wing during nightfright

I am so sorry to hear about your bird but I think as humans we internalize the resitrictions more then animals. In the wild she would die, but with you she will live because she can focus on learning how to adapt, not about staying alive, you have given her that gift - my two tiels and I wish her a speedy recovery!

Tweet is doing well!!!!

Thanks much to all who sent supportive messages!!! Just to update on Tweet's progress with good news...she is doing fantastic now although she seemed to be in some pain for a while. It still breaks my heart that she will never fly the way she did before but she has adapted very well and will fly close to the floor in short distances now. She is such a happy and loving little soul and I am spoiling her terribly!!!! All who have birds know that they are truly not just "pets" but our "fids"...our feathered kids!!!

Re: Tweet is doing well!!!!

I'm glad she's doing well, she sounds gorgeous. The first week that we had Herbie, my lutino hen, she panicked for no reason, and flew straight into the wall, knocking herself out. We thought she was going to die, we just nursed her, keeping her warm. When she came around, she started screaming, which was kind of scary for me, because I was quite young, and she was only my second tiel, Dickie had never done anything like that. Anyway, after some cuddling, she calmed down, and after a week, she was back out the flight with Dickie bird, shouting her head off! She's fine now, and a real softy, which suprised me a little, as she was a biter when she first came.